Addiction is the engagement with any substance, activity or experience to the extent that it causes harm to self or others.
Addiction is a distraction from acting in our truth.
Whether the addiction is to a substance (e.g. a drug, nicotine, alcohol, hemp, cannabis, ice, weed, painkillers, sugar, sleeping tablets, steroids etc), or to an activity or experience (e.g sex, food, partying, gambling, shopping, hoarding, romance, internet browsing, housekeeping, exercise, illness etc), you will know you are addicted, because you feel good ONLY in the presence of the substance, activity or experience and you seek it out at all costs regardless of what/who is disrupted or destroyed.
For those whose addiction is sex, It could be seeking to always have sex or not having any sex at all. It is one thing to consciously abstain from sex as you work through some release, but if you just find yourself over time feeling low whenever you engage, you may be addicted to not having sex and need to work through the issues causing this.
The impact of addiction is that it reduces our freedom to experience life more fully and at its worst, addiction is life threatening.
Having an addiction could be an hormonal or physiological imbalance. It could also be about diet.
In most cases, emotional-somatic blocks are behind addictions. There are often triggers, trauma and beliefs causing us to seek the particular leverage outside of us.
The triggers behind addiction could be low self worth, peer pressure, fear of abandonment, seeking love, loneliness, seeking escape, stress, feeling high work demands, or imbibing messages from social conditioning via films, videos etc. It is not unusual for a recovering smoker to reach for a smoke after watching a favored hero smoking.
The struggle is real, daily but recovery is possible.
As one recovers, the craving to engage in the substance, activity or experience still emerges, but there is inner capacity, understanding to no longer act on it as a solution.
The hold, the hook, the attachment of the trauma has been released. This is possible. I write from my own personal experience and those of my clients.
Addiction is a symptom of our inner world struggle. Recovery requires personal focus and realistic recovery goals.
When we start recovering, It may be more helpful to work at reduced access rather than to go for total abstinence straightaway. Each person is different. Recovery may require many failed attempts at our recovery goals before we know what will work for us. It can take some trails before reaching true zero tolerance.
Zero tolerance is the threshold point when we become completely internally motivated to reach your recovery goals. We have deeper clarity and self acceptance around impact and outcome.
I remember recovering from addiction to sugar and chocolates. It was a daily struggle. Sugar and chocolates started out being a simple solution to daily stress but they soon turned out to be a deadly vice. My blood sugar levels went sky high. I only felt good when eating chocolate or having very sweet tea/coffee. I could not cut down no matter the detrimental effects or how much advice I received. Or I would start to cut down and then start again weeks or months later. I avoided any focus to identify my triggers, memories, beliefs or emotional blocks causing the addiction. After many failed attempts at stopping, I realized that most of all, I did not feel safe. I was seeking acceptance outside of myself.
I had to accept that I needed help. I could not stop it on my own. I needed to create a safe space of acceptance and unconditional love with a professional, as there was no one close to me that could really hold this space around me.
I tried a number of different recovery modalities including mindfulness, Trauma Informed coaching, counselling, energy healing, hypnosis, inner child work etc. I kept at it over time going back and forth. I knew I needed help and took the steps I needed again and again to work through my inner issues. I am glad I did not give up. It took a couple of years but I tell this personal story so you know It is possible.
Recovery can be lonely. You find yourself having to create distance between you and those who still access the substance, activity or experience. But they may be your only circle, so having a safe space or group who understand what you are going through and are non-judgemental is critical.
Everyone has ego selfs with one vice or another. However some of these vices cause disruption, dis-ease or even significant pain and suffering in our lives.
Are you addicted to romance such that you break up relationships when they are no longer in the honeymoon stage?
Are you a parent, who is so attached to drinking/smoking/exercise/shopping, that you find yourself prioritizing drinking/smoking/gym/shopping over absolutely everything even your parenting responsibilities?
Do you seek the substance, activity or experience even when they are causing financial drain?
Do you seek experiences of worry and will always find something to worry about, taking pleasure in pointing them out and rationalizing that you are doing the right thing?
Do you find yourself seeking the same types of personality in partners that are a serious mismatch to your joy, feeding your addiction to pain?
Are these vices causing turmoil in your life?
Are you ready to get help?
Are you ready to focus on the inner blocks that lie behind your addiction?
Are you ready to create the safe space within, which is absent?.
It is important to be aware of our ego self vices and to check them especially if we become addicted. Some addictions like drugs, alcohol, smoking, sex, sugar etc can lead to ill health, disease and life threatening disorders.
We deserve a life free from addiction. You deserve to engage and embrace the source power already within you to make healthy choices in your life. It is possible.
Do not give up. Take the steps you know you need, with self compassion, love and care to be free. You deserve it. I wish you a soulfull rich purpose driven abundant life.
NEXT STEPS
I am a Speaker, Coach, Author, Teacher and Energy Practitioner.
If you are interested in experiencing a change in your outlook, outcomes or experiences and want to work with me as your coach, check out my SMITT Emotional Mastery program here
My work is based on Psychology, Metaphysics, Trauma Informed Quantum Energy Healing and Light Language Channeling
Access my free resources toolkit here
Comments